Where to find actors?
- Thread starter SDBenassi
- Start date
Try Craigslist.org, but seeing as you are in LA, just look around, post wanted ads, etc. to let more people know.
Finding actors in LA shouldn't be a problem.. even if they will be working for free I think putting up some signs on campus, coffee shops, a craigslist ad and you'll be beating them off with a stick. 
Though I would suggest that rather than working for free you find a way to offer a per diem that will at least cover gas/transportation expense. It really shouldn't cost anyone money to be involved in your film.
Though I would suggest that rather than working for free you find a way to offer a per diem that will at least cover gas/transportation expense. It really shouldn't cost anyone money to be involved in your film.
Lots of local community theaters are good resources as there are actors there who don't get paid to act...they just love acting. Sometimes, artistic/creative people just need outlets. I know when Will posted on craigslist and mandy.com for our "Curtain Call" 48 hour, we had way to many to keep track of...make sure to screen test people if you have the time/ability to do so...(with a camera).
Just one thing: It's easy to get actors, but unless you're able to shoot everything in one day there are a couple of things you ought to know about working with people who are volunteering their time.
When you ask people to work for free you have to do two things:
1) Make them feel that the project is worth their investment of time (ie. good script, interesting acting roles and at the very least something given to them at the end which will improve their show reel)
2) Be ultra professional in how the shoot is run
Basically, don't make all the usual student film maker mistakes of: having half your crew turn up late for the start of the day; making actors wait around whilst people drive back to the Valley to pick up the batteries you forgot to pack; poor scheduling which means an actor turns up at 6am and you shoot anything with her until mid afternoon; over runs into the early hours in the morning caused by poor planning and arguments on set with crew members; and, no provision of either a comfortable waiting area, coffee or even water for the actors.
Something like 75% of the student productions I've seen, run into problems on days two and three when key cast members bail on them.
The more you run your set as if you were paying everyone, and therefore they have value and represent a real cost to you, the better your film will be.
Which is just a fancy way of saying "Value Your People"
When you ask people to work for free you have to do two things:
1) Make them feel that the project is worth their investment of time (ie. good script, interesting acting roles and at the very least something given to them at the end which will improve their show reel)
2) Be ultra professional in how the shoot is run
Basically, don't make all the usual student film maker mistakes of: having half your crew turn up late for the start of the day; making actors wait around whilst people drive back to the Valley to pick up the batteries you forgot to pack; poor scheduling which means an actor turns up at 6am and you shoot anything with her until mid afternoon; over runs into the early hours in the morning caused by poor planning and arguments on set with crew members; and, no provision of either a comfortable waiting area, coffee or even water for the actors.
Something like 75% of the student productions I've seen, run into problems on days two and three when key cast members bail on them.
The more you run your set as if you were paying everyone, and therefore they have value and represent a real cost to you, the better your film will be.
Which is just a fancy way of saying "Value Your People"
Clive, your comments are excellent! Right on the money!
I also have a suggestion or two that I have found to be helpful on my projects. Regarding the cast, it may be cliche', but treat your cast like gold. I am an actor, writer, and getting more into direction and producing. And there is one thing actors are, sensitive. Every single one. I've never met, or worked with an actor, who didn't have this sensitivity. They have this sensitivity, because I find especially with my acting training, it's a part of the job. You're dealing with a person who is trained at "feeling". They can't just turn this off. Well, most can't. It's a part of who we are as actors.
With that, do what you can to have a car pick them up for the shoot, and take them home afterwards. it's sounds funny, but believe me, it ensures two things. First and foremost, they will be there. Second, it makes them FEEL really special. I know it sounds funny, but believe me, it works like a charm. Just that simple convenience. Put it into the budget of the film, and if you can't afford it, get a friend to do it for you. But this is one simple, reasonably inexpensive luxury that actors LOVE!
Get to know what makes people happy in each role. And if you're not sure, ask. Ask the actor what would make them "FEEL" comfortable. Same with the crew. Make sure you communicate with them on what it would take to meet their minimal needs. Again supporting what Clive was saying.
Second I would suggest, is the food. Whatever you do, make sure the food is good. To donate your time, this is the least you can do is provide REALLY good food. Again, it's a bare minimum that if done right, leaves a lasting impression. And it's a basic instinctual minimum with people. Meaning, good food, promotes happy people. Not a big cost, and it shows you care. Like Clive was saying, you have to compensate for the donation of their time. Putting good food in one's belly, is definitely a way of communicating you care. And you better care, as these people have the fate of your film, in their hands. Again, specifically when your dealing with people that are working for free. Also, make sure you have food that supports any dietary concerns with the cast and crew (lactose intolerant, non-meat eaters, etc.). Try not to provide any heavy foods that would zap people's energy (heavy pasta's, cheesy foods, etc.). Base drinks water, seltzer water, no soda, no alcohol. I say no soda as soda has high sugar content, and you don't want your cast or crew "crashing" during the shoot. There are really tasty flavored seltzer waters, juices, that you can provide that are really tasty.
Bare minimum, definitely pick up the actor before the shoot, and take them home after. Aside from how it makes them "feel", it ensures they will be at the shoot (most of all), and that they will be there on time. Then good food and drink!
-Richard
www.oneclickfilms.com
I also have a suggestion or two that I have found to be helpful on my projects. Regarding the cast, it may be cliche', but treat your cast like gold. I am an actor, writer, and getting more into direction and producing. And there is one thing actors are, sensitive. Every single one. I've never met, or worked with an actor, who didn't have this sensitivity. They have this sensitivity, because I find especially with my acting training, it's a part of the job. You're dealing with a person who is trained at "feeling". They can't just turn this off. Well, most can't. It's a part of who we are as actors.
With that, do what you can to have a car pick them up for the shoot, and take them home afterwards. it's sounds funny, but believe me, it ensures two things. First and foremost, they will be there. Second, it makes them FEEL really special. I know it sounds funny, but believe me, it works like a charm. Just that simple convenience. Put it into the budget of the film, and if you can't afford it, get a friend to do it for you. But this is one simple, reasonably inexpensive luxury that actors LOVE!
Get to know what makes people happy in each role. And if you're not sure, ask. Ask the actor what would make them "FEEL" comfortable. Same with the crew. Make sure you communicate with them on what it would take to meet their minimal needs. Again supporting what Clive was saying.
Second I would suggest, is the food. Whatever you do, make sure the food is good. To donate your time, this is the least you can do is provide REALLY good food. Again, it's a bare minimum that if done right, leaves a lasting impression. And it's a basic instinctual minimum with people. Meaning, good food, promotes happy people. Not a big cost, and it shows you care. Like Clive was saying, you have to compensate for the donation of their time. Putting good food in one's belly, is definitely a way of communicating you care. And you better care, as these people have the fate of your film, in their hands. Again, specifically when your dealing with people that are working for free. Also, make sure you have food that supports any dietary concerns with the cast and crew (lactose intolerant, non-meat eaters, etc.). Try not to provide any heavy foods that would zap people's energy (heavy pasta's, cheesy foods, etc.). Base drinks water, seltzer water, no soda, no alcohol. I say no soda as soda has high sugar content, and you don't want your cast or crew "crashing" during the shoot. There are really tasty flavored seltzer waters, juices, that you can provide that are really tasty.
Bare minimum, definitely pick up the actor before the shoot, and take them home after. Aside from how it makes them "feel", it ensures they will be at the shoot (most of all), and that they will be there on time. Then good food and drink!
-Richard
www.oneclickfilms.com
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Sometimes "value" isn't enough. I speak from experience, even though that experience was incredibly ill-perceived, berated, and even ignorantly mocked by some mouthy and clueless members of this... forum.
I did a shoot, went provably above and beyond my agreements with the actors with food/hotels/transport/scheduling/etc., and got pricked by them with not one legitimate reason given for their delays. They later showed-up to finish the shoot, after having to ask a lawyer to track them down and send letters...
Posted my experience here and was personally attacked and mocked for +6 pages by self-proclaimed "experienced professionals", who attacked my intentions for posting, *copied-and-pasted* insults, and created ridiculous/bogus legal info, and did everything else they verbally could to attack my credibility for trying to HELP OTHERS avoid a situation which obviously completely baffled them... They pretended to be experts about my situation, yet made bizarre false claims-- and completely failed to understand any portion of the topic.... Also, the posters were spineless enough to also berate me for not liking the 6+ pages of hostility and belligerence aimed at me due solely to their lack of understanding... Hardly professional or tactful, yet belittling, abhorrently ignorant, needlessly insulting, and utterly clueless instead.
Anyway, beyond my unbelievable experience on this so-called forum, big-name actors have left movies for varieties of reasons; pulling guns on assistant directors (a big-name Oscar-winning actor from Australia), getting pregnant (several), not fulfilling the role (Apocalypse Now), racial bigotry (J. Foster got a famous DP fired from a big film because he was muslim), being locked in prison for drugs (many), etc..
Sometimes being a "big" actor just doesn't actually mean the person has any sense at all. And how you treat them has no actual bearing on their sense or lack of sense in reality. Clive is essentially naively claiming; if you treat a poisonous snake nicely it won't bite you. Like if your mom told you when you were a kid-- be nice to everyone and everyone will be nice back... It sounds nice and may even be believable when you are young, but in reality it's not even close to accurate. It may be Clive's lucky experience that anyone would do anything for him if he acts "nice enough", and believes everyone is just nice if he's nice and has his batteries charged... but due to the naive nature of his comments I am more likely to believe it is merely his delusion about how films are made, as luck and charm are no guarantees on real film shoots. Period.
Alfred Hitchcock said "I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle". I think Hitch knows a bit more about how to treat actors than anyone here...
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well narcissus my comment to you is that if you go in with that attitude no actor will want to work with you. Their will always be bad apples, and actors who are lazy/unreliable, and I do not know your situation, but it sounds like it was an anomaly not the norm. I have spent the last 5 years of my life SMing, and Acting for the stage. I am just now making a transition in to film, but unless Film actors are really an entirely different breed which my experiences makes me doubt. Spoiling them almost always does the trick. It gives them a comfortable safe environment, and when you have to do emotionally charged scenes it will always come out better if you feel safe comfortable, and cared for in your environment. In screen acting I imagine that feeling of safety is even more important; because of the reality that has to be in the scene when your audience is feet, and sometimes inches away rather than 20yards. Actors should not be handled with kid gloves that will just annoy them, but treating them like animals that will just make them quit.
if you're in L.A. you may try printing up a flyer and posting copies around some of the more centrally located, yet cost friendly apartment buildings (like around the mail box areas or something...if this is legal LOL) because you will likely find actors living there...you may even try calling some talent managers and explain to them that you are making a tudent film you have ____ types you're trying to cast in your film...there's no pay but experience, food, and rides, and credit for the actors...and that you were calling to see if they had any new clients that fit those roles who may be interested.
I'm not in L.A. so I haven't personally tried this, but it's something I would try if I were there....
also, there are countless film acting classes throughout L.A. you could call them and ask if they would allow you to visit and hand out flyers to their students.
I'm not in L.A. so I haven't personally tried this, but it's something I would try if I were there....
also, there are countless film acting classes throughout L.A. you could call them and ask if they would allow you to visit and hand out flyers to their students.
That's possible I suppose... I could just be lucky... but don't you find it odd that I'm lucky ALL of the time?
I mean that is quite freaky... that after twelve years of making films; writing for the BBC and winning a whole shelf load of awards I still have never, ever, under any circumstance had anyone let me down on set... even when they weren't being paid and we were doing 18 hour days in the freezing cold of a UK winter!
I should enter the lottery... because I mean that's pretty lucky.
And actually, when I come to think of it, I've also had option offers on every single script I've ever written... shit, that's pretty lucky as well. I must be the world's luckiest guy! Huzzah!
Of course, I know it's kind of mad and all... but what if it's not luck at all... what if there is a connection between all these things.
What I mean is... what if the key to keeping actors happy on set isn't the limo from the airport, but the quality of the writing and the ability of the director to help the actor give great performances.
I mean if a director could do that, he wouldn't need luck, would he.
But that's insane... of course it's luck... any other possible explanation is just plain nuts, bonkers even... because that would mean that just maybe directors who lose control of their films and have cast walkouts weren't unlucky... but, like I said, that's inconceivable.
I'm just grateful that I'm so lucky... I'd hate to be one of those unlucky directors... that would really suck, knowing that nothing I did personally could alter the outcome of my project. I'd probably quit film making and take up bee keeping if I was that sort of person.
If you are serious, post a print ad in Backstage Magazine, and it will also appear online. That is industry standard for NY and LA (well definitely for NY). It's worth it. Not sure about craigslist, I would probably stay away from there for actors. You can also search the Backstage database online: http://casting.backstage.com/employerx/
Backstage (West) is the standard here in LA, too. I've never cast
from craigslist. I've had good response and found great talent
using Backstage. I have had good response using mandy.com for crew.
from craigslist. I've had good response and found great talent
using Backstage. I have had good response using mandy.com for crew.